Heartbeat
by Pups3942
Summary: (TDKS - 02) Loki gets too possessive over his daughter.


**_Welcome to The Desolate Kingdom Series. TDKS consist of various frostiron angst and sorrow parts (stories) that are read individually and have no relation to each other. This is the second part._**

 ** _Feast your eyes, and prep your hearts. Also, reviews are always welcome._**

* * *

Tony smiled as he picked out a frilly pink dress. He signaled out to the sales assistant to pack that for him as he continued down the aisle. He never thought there would be a day where Tony Stark, the big man himself would immerse himself in shopping malls hand picking out plush toys and adorable little dresses. Tony and Loki had disputes over shopping. While Tony felt that everything as more convenient if he had JARVIS order them, or they could order anything they wish from the net and have the items delivered, Loki was determined for them to pick out everything themselves. And by personally choosing the items, Loki meant that they would have to head down to the malls and get involved.

Of course, Loki won. For the first time they went shopping together, Tony learned that he hated the crowds. Every trip thereafter, Tony would reserve the whole mall for them to shop with ease, it was a much better experience when you are treated as VIPs. Tony wouldn't admit it, but he found himself heading down more often, especially after Arya was born. Since the baby would spend most of her time sleeping, Tony would go out and splurge on gifts and outfits. She should have the best of course, she's a Stark.

Tony headed down to basement where the supermarket was located. Much to Tony's amusement and unfortunately, Loki's chagrin, Arya loves tomato pasta sauce. She could be bribed, as much as you can bribe a five-month-old, to do anything with pasta sauce. It was safe to say the tiny Stark was obsessed with the food.

Tony grabbed a couple of boxes of frozen blueberries from the cooler and placed it in his basket where two cans of tomato pasta sauce sat. Blueberries made Loki smile. Or at least that was how it used to be. After the baby, Loki was practically glued to her. He never let her out of sight and insisted on doing everything himself. Although Tony did get some baby time, it was always short and with Loki close in surveillance, as if Loki was afraid Tony would drop the baby. Tony hoped that Loki wouldn't work himself to death. The poor man was pale as he was and had dark eye circles. He was the embodiment of fatigue.

It was worse with the others though. Loki would throw a big fit if anyone got too close to the baby in the crib or too near him if he was carrying her. It took Tony a while before he could get Loki to let him hold Arya's bottle while she's feeding. At first, Tony was worried with Loki's dramatic change of behaviour after Arya's birth, but overtime, everyone learnt how far they could go and prevented stepping over the line. Loki had had a traumatic past, especially with the realisation of his roots, perhaps which was the reason he was more protective of his child now. Anyways, little Arya didn't mind the fuss.

Tony was light on his feet as he walked to his car, his hands full of shopping bags. One thing for sure, he couldn't wait to get home to his family. The drive home was short and Tony had that ridiculous grin plastered onto his face as he stepped out of the lift and back home.

"Hey Lokes!"

Tony dropped the goods off at the couch when there was no reply. Maybe Loki and the baby were sleeping. Glancing towards the baby room, he saw that the light was on and the door was ajar. He fumbled through the shopping bags and pulled out the pink dress he picked out early. _Loki would love this,_ he thought as he went into the nursery.

Odd, there was no one in the room either. Arya's formula bottle was half empty and strewn aside, the sheets in the crib was messy. Confused, Tony exited the room in search of his partner. Where Loki was, Arya would be.

"Loki?"

The clatter of something falling to the floor caught Tony's attention, it seemed to come from the kitchen. Tony left the little outfit by the table as he turned towards the kitchen. Peeping in, he saw Loki kneeling on the floor, bent forward with his back facing Tony. The sight of the kitchen was horrendous. The baby's bowl was flipped bottom side up and thrown aside. The white floors and walls were stained with red splashes and spots. But Tony wasn't appalled.

"Arya is flinging the spaghetti sauce around again, isn't she?" Tony chuckled. "If this continues, she'll win every food fight installed for her."

There was no smug reply from Loki as he started trembling. Concerned, Tony approached him but was stopped by his partner's sharp glare, and he stopped in his tracks. Loki's face was covered in sauce and his hair was unkempt and messy covering parts of his face. Despite how menacing Loki tried to look, Tony couldn't help but laugh at his partner's misfortune with the baby's food.

Loki's expression remained unchanged as Tony stepped closer to him and glanced over his shoulder. The baby was lying on her belly with her face turned away from her parents. Beneath her lay a pool of tomato sauce, and her clothes had soaked up a lot of the fluid, staining it red as well.

Tony sighed as he knelt down beside his partner and patted Loki's shoulder, still unable to wipe the amusement off his face. "Hey, don't worry. We'll get that cleaned up in no time."

The tremor coming from Loki was getting violent and a soft rumble was even heard. Tony arched his brow as he bent forward to catch Loki's gaze. Loki wore a crazed and feral demeanour; Tony hadn't seen this side of him since New York.

"Lokes? You alright?"

Loki's chuckle was more audible as he pulled his arms closer to himself. Tony glanced down at Loki's hands, wondering what he was holding so close in his possession that was driving him mad.

Cupped in his big hands, was something tiny that looked like a piece of meat. As Loki's hand moved with every chuckle, the meat constricted a couple of times more. Tony was aghast at what he was seeing and stumbled backwards. It was a heart, small enough to be that of a child; so fresh that the nerve endings were still reactive to touch.

"Loki?!"

Tony's quivering hand reached out to touch Arya, her body was still warm. However, when Tony picked her up, on her chest was a gaping hole. She wasn't breathing anymore. Those stains were not tomato pasta sauce.

Loki stood up from where he was, his hands still so delicately holding the organ and towered over Tony. His brows were furrowed and his grin was wide. "Her heart beats only for me now."


End file.
